Magnificent mosses

It’s kind of ironic that after enjoying Madeira’s wide open spaces, high peaks and beautiful coastline viewed from the many ‘miradouros’, one of the first things I feel like sharing here is something as small and seemingly insignificant as moss.

As we went on hikes in the volcanic mountains of Madeira, we came accross the most spectacular walls of mosses along the levadas and beneath waterfalls.

The shapes, textures, colours and combination of the mosses were so varied and different from anything I’d seen before. The mosses seemed to grow relentlessly, sometimes in thick layers, basking in the humidity.

It was really fascinating to observe them and I loved the patterns they formed, and how they interacted with each other. Paolo was very patient while I struggled to somehow capture them on camera.

It reached a peak one day while we were sitting on a log and eating our picnic, and I started to ‘see’ things… The mosses in the picture below look to me like minuscule sci-fi villages with mushroom houses and diminutive trees. Aren’t they amazing?!